The Sindh Health Department on Friday confirmed another case of coronavirus bringing the total number of patients in the province to 15 and at the national level to 21.

Of the people underwent tests during the last 24 hours, 154 tested negative for the novel coronavirus, while one tested positive.

So far 251 people have been tested for suspicion, 236 came out negative, while 15 people have been tested positive for the coronavirus.

A day earlier the Sindh government had extended the closure of educational institutions across the province until May 30 as a precautionary step against the coronavirus.

 It was decided in a Sindh cabinet meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on late Thursday. Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that the matric examinations have also been postponed. The educational institutions will now reopen on June 1, 2020, he added.

Ghani said that that this closure would be considered as summer vacation.

The chief minister said that he had been chairing taskforce meeting on coronavirus from the last 14 days. The virus has become pandemic, therefore the government has to take drastic measures to contain it, he added.

The cabinet after thorough discussion decided to close the schools until May 30, 2020.

The cabinet also proposed to discourage every kind of social and religious gatherings.

The chief minister directed the commissioners through chief secretary to hold meetings with the religious scholars and minorities’ leaders and discuss how the religious congregation could be avoided in the present condition.

PRISONERS

The cabinet members raised the issue of prisoners who meet with their relatives during their hearing in the courts and then return to the crowded jails. The chief minister directed health department to issue advisory for jail inmates and their family members with whom they meet during the hearings and at the prisons.